From left to right:Commodore Jeremy Blunden LVO Royal Navy (CTF151), Commodore Peter Lenselink Royal Netherlands Navy (CTF508) and Commodore Henning Amundsen Royal Norwegian Navy (Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta) onboard HNLMS Johan de Witt in the Gulf of Aden.

Taking this opportunity to meet at sea, the commanders examined new ways to cooperate and coordinate their activities to have maximum impact against would be pirates; and whilst there has been a decline in piracy in the waters off the Somali coast, they all agreed that the root causes of piracy are yet to be defeated.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to conduct a “two ship” replenishment between the CTF 151 flagship, Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria, the Dutch flagship of the European Union Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta, HNLMS Johan de Witt, and the Norwegian flagship of CTF 508, HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen.

From left to right:Commodore Jeremy Blunden LVO Royal Navy (CTF151), Commodore Peter Lenselink Royal Netherlands Navy and Commodore Henning Amundsen Royal Norwegian Navy with members of staff from each command team onboard HNLMS Johan de Witt in the Gulf of Aden.

Commodore Lenselink said, “It is important that the Force Commanders meet at sea. Good coordination of participating units of the three forces has a direct impact on the effectiveness to contain piracy in this very large operational area.”

Commodore Amundsen added, “This is a great opportunity for us to come together to discuss and share information in our joint efforts in countering piracy.”

Commodore Blunden summarised by saying, “Countering the pirate threat in Somalia is an international effort. We have had a good meeting here today between the multinational forces which will pave the way for even better coordination and continued pressure to deter any Somalis considering taking up piracy.”

Patrolling the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, CTF 151 operates as part of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF); a professional naval force comprised of 29 nations, who focus on Maritime Security Operations and work together to deny the use of the seas for terror and other illicit activity across approximately 2.5 million square miles of international waters, CTF 508 operates as part of the NATO led operation.

An aerial photo of RFA Fort Victoria as she conducts a dual RAS with Johan de Witt and HNoMS Fridjof Nansen.

The European Union Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta is an EU led operation focussed mainly off the Somali coast, with a responsibility to protect vessels of the World Food Programme (WFP) delivering aid to displaced persons in Somalia and the protection of African Union Mission on Somalia (AMISOM) shipping.

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Published by Combined Maritime Forces

CMF is a unique multi-national collective of 32 like-minded nations, dedicated to promoting security and free flow of commerce across 3.2 million square miles of international waters in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf. CMF’s main focus areas are disrupting terrorism, preventing piracy, reducing illegal activities, and promoting a safe maritime environment for all.
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